In this post, we are going to share full information about cockroaches reproduce and their life process. So you will know about the cockroaches eggs, oothecae, nymph and another information relative to the cockroaches reproduction and their life cycle. Lets begin…

The Cockroaches Reproduce Process

Egg cases are produced by female cockroaches. These egg cases are referred to as oothecae, which contain lots of eggs that are encased in a hardened protein substance that protects them. Some species of cockroach will carry the eggs until full maturity while others will just drop the egg cases.

Nymphs are the name for cockroaches that have just hatched from the egg. These infant cockroaches are soft and as white as a ghost. They eventually darken up once their exoskeleton beings to harden and then their color becomes normal. Nymphs must go through numerous molts before they reach adulthood. Adults can be recognized easily because they are larger than the nymphs and they have wings. On the other hand, some adult cockroach species, like the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach, do not have wings.

Some cockroach species have mothers which care for their young while others do not. In certain species, the oothecae get buried or hidden by the mother and then the mother never sees them again. On the other hand, mothers in other species will actually give birth and then care for their offspring. According to scientists, mothers can sometimes be recognized by their offspring. The number of young cockroaches that a mother gives birth to at one time tends to vary greatly. Below you will learn about the various types of cockroach oothecae, eggs, nymphs and what their reproduction process is like.

1. German Cockroach

The eggs of a German cockroach have a brown color to them and they are roughly 6 to 9 millimeters long. Of course, sometimes the length can be smaller too. The mothers of this species do not hide their oothecae. Instead, they carry their eggs with them wherever they go until the day when the eggs hatch. During their lifetime, the mothers will create anywhere from 4 to 6 egg cases. This enables them to produce as little as 200 cockroach babies and as much as 300 babies. The casing comes off the eggs about a few days before they are ready to hatch. German cockroaches can live for about 100 days to 200 days, on average, which means they have a relatively short life. But despite how short it is, they can still produce between 200 and 300 cockroach babies within those 100 to 200 days of life. This is how they multiply so rapidly.

2. Oriental Cockroach

The eggs of an Oriental cockroach are a little bit different. The sack of these roach eggs has a dark reddish-brown color to them and they are about 8 to 10 millimeters long, which is actually quite longer than the American cockroach species. One interesting thing about these sacks is they tend to look quite inflated. There is a total of 16 eggs in the majority of the oothecae. After the production of an egg case, the mother roach will hide it somewhere so it can remain safe. They tend to hide the egg cases in dark, cold environments so that they won’t be discovered by human beings. On a positive note, Oriental cockroaches tend to produce around 1 to 18 different egg cases throughout the course of their life. This means that one female cockroach could give birth to 16 babies at minimum and 288 babies at a maximum.

3. American Cockroach

The oothecae produced by an American cockroach tends to have a dark brownish color to them. These egg cases are roughly 8 millimeters long. Mothers have the ability to produce as little as 6 egg cases and as many as 90 egg cases over the course of their life. Each American cockroach egg case can hold an average of 15 embryos. This means that a female American cockroach can produce as little as 90 babies and as many as 1,350 babies.

The reproduction of cockroaches happens very fast when they are able to be in environments with easy access to water and food. One egg case alone can worsen any infestation problem you may have with cockroaches. That is why you must act quickly when any egg cases are discovered in order to prevent the population of cockroaches from getting too out of hand. Go over all your options and choose the one that is best for you.